A police sergeant in Dawson County, Georgia, was acting as a good Samaritan on Tuesday when he offered to give a homeless man a ride to the gas station and help him out with some cash.

But the situation quickly turned potentially deadly for 52-year-old Sgt. Randy Harkness when the suspect suddenly started viciously attacking him after he tried to give him some money.

As Harkness was suffering severe injuries to his face, a nearby woman witnessed the attack and got out of her car.

She was legally carrying a handgun.

Fox 5 Atlanta

The woman fired a round, which made the suspect get off the officer. She aimed and fired another round at him, making him flee the scene. She hit the suspect at least one time, according to police.

“I truly believe that she's a hero,” Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson told Fox 5 Atlanta. “I believe that she potentially saved this officer's life. We don't know how far the suspect would have went with the assault.”

It's unlikely the woman will face any charges for discharging her firearm, but the incident remains under investigation.

Fox 5 Atlanta

After the suspect was shot by the heroic woman, several other bystanders helped detain the attacker until police arrived. Both the suspect and officer were transported to the hospital.